Terrace mountain lean-to was vandalized and trashed recently. I called the Ranger about it. If anyone is heading there soon be advised it's quite the mess. Give them some time to get up there to straighten and clean up.
They left garbage behind. Tarps, broken chairs, a sleeping bag, liquor bottles, uncooked hamburger patties, ect.. So much to list.
They destroyed the main fire pit, candles were put all over the rafters and lit. Waxed dripped everywhere inside.

I am 100% sure that if all these people were murdered in their sleep, the world would be a better place for it.

That's a bummer. I stayed there a few years ago, and the lean-to doesn't get a lot of use, so it may have been like this for some time. I always figured that this lean-to would likely get removed and not replaced once it reached the end of its life-span (in addition to the low levels of use, there's no reliable water source anywhere close by). Maybe it's time to remove the lean-to now.

Regarding hamburger patties- a few years ago, I cleaned up a site that had been similarly trashed in the Adirondacks. The group had tossed about 10 or 15 uncooked burger patties into the fire pit before they left. The meat had been sitting in the summer sun for at least a week before I came across the site. The smell was one of the worst things I've ever experienced, and only by holding my breath could I enter the campsite. Fortunately the site was close enough to the road that I was able to bag everything up through short, repeated trips into the campsite, and carry everything out.

That's a bummer. I stayed there a few years ago, and the lean-to doesn't get a lot of use, so it may have been like this for some time. I always figured that this lean-to would likely get removed and not replaced once it reached the end of its life-span (in addition to the low levels of use, there's no reliable water source anywhere close by). Maybe it's time to remove the lean-to now.

Regarding hamburger patties- a few years ago, I cleaned up a site that had been similarly trashed in the Adirondacks. The group had tossed about 10 or 15 uncooked burger patties into the fire pit before they left. The meat had been sitting in the summer sun for at least a week before I came across the site. The smell was one of the worst things I've ever experienced, and only by holding my breath could I enter the campsite. Fortunately the site was close enough to the road that I was able to bag everything up through short, repeated trips into the campsite, and carry everything out.

Man, you're a saint. The worst thing I've cleaned up is tp "flowers" (multiple occasions) and a 5 gallon bucket of poo (once). No, I didn't pack it out, but... I buried it. And I have a new-found appreciation for the guy who pumps my septic tank. I've camped quite a bit in the Catskills over my camping life and I don't do it much any more because (1) It's too close to the city and draws idiots and (2) You better plan on carrying all your water!

Yeah, most of my Catskill hiking and backpacking typically happens either in the off season, or occasionally mid-week. I've also found that the further west you go in the Catskills, the quieter the backcountry generally becomes. I've done a few winter overnights in the western Catskills and not seen another soul. At some point, I'd like to thru-hike the Delaware Ridge Trail, starting at Trout Pond and ending on the north side of Dry Brook Ridge.

Avoiding the Devil's Path and the Burroughs Range in particular seems to be a good way to avoid the worst of the crowds and inconsiderate visitors.

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